


Show, Don't Tell

by vehlr



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, First Time, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 22:29:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3546071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehlr/pseuds/vehlr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had been taking things slowly, at his insistence – despite her brashness, he had no intention of pushing her into anything, simply glad to have her hand in his. And whilst, yes, he had experienced… some frustration physically, he would happily endure it until she was ready.</p>
<p>Which was, apparently, today. Maker help him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Show, Don't Tell

He is surprised when she finally suggests it, a hurried whisper over the evening meal that has him choking on his ale in surprise. They had been taking things slowly, at his insistence – despite her brashness, he had no intention of pushing her into anything, simply glad to have her hand in his. And whilst, yes, he had experienced… _some_ frustration physically, he would happily endure it until she was ready.

Which was, apparently, today. _Maker help him_.

He manages to pull himself together, his hand reaching out to touch the back of hers lightly.

“If you’re sure,” he murmurs in a quiet tone.

Despite the reddening cheeks, she fixes him with that familiar look of determination as she nods slightly. “If I were not, I would not say.”

He smiles, turning her hand over in his as he presses a soft kiss to her palm. “Tonight, then.”

* * *

He half-fancies she might change her mind, but Cassandra is nothing if not a woman of her word. The soft knock at his door might have been missed any other night, but he is on his feet before the second rap of her knuckles. She is dressed simply, the doublet a common outfit for their evenings together, but he is still surprised at the lack of armour.

“Princess,” he welcomes, smiling as he beckons her in. She rests a hand lightly on his shoulder as she enters the room proper, taking her customary seat on his cot. To all appearances, it might be any other night but for the slight tension in her shoulders and the awkwardness of his movements. “So. Drink?”

“Do I look like I need a drink? Do I look like I _need_ to drink to get this started?” she responds a little harshly, and he raises his hands in surrender.

“Hey, I just -”

She laughs suddenly, one hand reaching out to him. “Got you.”

“You sly little -” He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Come on, Princess, cut me some slack here.” Taking her hand, he allows her to pull him onto the bed, sitting next to her as he reaches to brush her hair. “It’s not just me, right? This is…”

“Different,” she agrees. “It is my fault. I should have stayed quiet – earlier, I should not have said anything. It is almost… forced, now.”

“And left me without anything to think about all day?” He grins. “Perish the thought.”

She cants her head, smiling slightly. “Oh? A story to tell me, Varric?”

“You know, just this once…” and here, he reaches for her arm, pulling her into his lap as she yelps, “I’m going to explain a little rule of storytelling, Seeker.” He frames her face in his hands, smile gentle as he watches her expression soften. “Show, don’t tell.”

Neither of them are quite sure who leans in first, and both know that tonight it does not matter – they meet in the middle perfectly, his fingers finding the nape of her neck and her hands sliding around his shoulders as they fall into place, the slow burning fires within flaring.

She pushes him back against the mattress, a little less sure as her hand lingers on his chest, and he hauls himself back up to meet her gaze.

“Seeker, we don’t have to -”

“It is not that,” she interrupts, her eyes pulling away as she considers her words. “Only… it has been a long time. I do not want to… disappoint.”

He blinks, surprised, before cupping her chin to pull her gaze back to him. “Kiss me,” he murmurs, “like this is something you _want_.”

Something she wants? She manages a slight smile as she licks her lips. That, she could manage. Her hands grasp his head, pulling him flush against her as her lips bore into his, hips rocking slightly where they meet his body. His heat envelopes her as his hands slide up her back, his soft groan sending a thrill through her as she comes up for air with a gasp.

He struggles to focus on her, an effect that is wonderful to behold – the man to whom composure came so easily, completely undone by her touch. She promises herself more of these moments. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” he manages, a slightly hysterical chuckle as he leans back on his palms. “How could you _possibly_ think yourself disappointing, Seeker?”

She laughs ruefully, shrugging. “I am less worried now,” she admits.

“Good.” He runs a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath. “Although, if you need more convincing…”

“Varric,” she whispers, fingers tightening around his shirt. “Kiss me like -”

He does not give her chance to echo his words back at her, lunging forward with a heated grunt as he pulls her back down to the bed, his lips stealing her breath and answering her more fully than his clever words ever could. Oh, he could not count the ways that he wants her, the ways he has imagined taking her in the cooling dusk. He grabs her waist, rolling her onto her back as he releases her lips and grins down at her.

“Lesson two of storytelling,” he murmurs, “suspense.”

She wriggles slightly underneath him. “Varric…”

“Overrated,” he agrees, one hand coming up to unbutton her doublet. “But let’s not rule it out _just_ yet.” He makes short work of the fastenings, fingers dancing lightly over soft skin, and she hitches at each of his touches. “It’s one of my favourites, after all.”

“Is that so? Then shall I remain clothed?”

He chuckles, hand coming to rest at her hip. “Oh, don’t let me stop you, Seeker.”

“I have no intention of stopping,” she counters, voice low as her eyebrow quirks up, and he cannot help but swallow as her hands reach out for him. “But fair’s fair, Varric. Shirt. Off.” She yanks at the fabric, and he loses sight of her as his shirt is half-pulled over his head. In his vain attempts to free himself, he can hear her soft laughter. Less trapped than he, she makes short work of her outer layers and he frees himself in time to watch her smalls come sliding down those wonderful long legs. She throws the fabric over his shoulder, relaxing back against the mattress, and he drinks her in with wide eyes.

“Like what you see?” she asks with a wry smile.

“If I’d known you were hiding this underneath all that armour, Seeker, I’d have insisted on this a long time ago,” he teases, though there is nothing but adoration in his tone. “You’re… _divine_.”

“Flatterer.”

He shoots her a look before lowering his head to press a light kiss between her breasts. “Now, now. I have been known to exaggerate on occasion, when the story was a little threadbare,” and here he shifts his weight, hand exploring further down her body now as her breathing shortens, muscles stretching out beneath his touch, “but credit where credit’s due.” He tilts his head slightly as he catches her eye, grinning as his fingers trip lightly over even softer ground to press against her warmth. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Princess.”

Her smirk vanishes, mouth slackened as she rolls into his touch. “ _Oh_ ,” she breathes, followed by a soft noise that sends a wave of heat through Varric. She was wet beneath his touch, a realisation that only made him smile wider.

“Someone else has been thinking about this,” he teases, dipping a finger in her with torturous slowness. Her hips lift to meet him and her eyes close as she all but whimpers. “Gorgeous,” he murmurs, pressing another kiss to her stomach as he shuffles down the bed.

“Bullshit,” she says, though there is no passion to it as she shivers underneath him, his breath against her skin electric. He rolls his eyes, but quickly turns his attentions to the glory beneath him. With great reverence, he lays a soft kiss against her softness, rewarded with an almost-scandalised gasp, before flicking his tongue out to tease her clit as his finger continues to play with her entrance. Further up the bed, a symphony of awed moans and whispered half-prayers spill from Cassandra’s lips – to the Maker or to Varric, she could not have been completely sure, one hand finding his hair as her legs close around him -

\- and then he stops, fingers slowing to a halt as he lifts his head to watch her. Maker, but this was a sight to remember! After everything they had thrown at each other, he had to wonder how they had managed to get it together.

She whines, fingers grasping at the sheets in frustration, and he chuckles, her hips lifting off the bed at his breath.

“I did warn you,” he reminds her in that sing-song voice, “suspense is one of my favourites.” His thumb lightly grazes her thigh and she keens.

“Varric!”

“Now, what lesson were we at…?”

Her legs tighten around his shoulders, back arching. “Maker, Varric. _Please_.”

And he almost comes there and then, her desperate plea in such hushed tones more erotic than he could ever have imagined. More than happy to throw his plans out the window, he lowers his mouth to her sex, fingers quickly finds a new rhythm, leading her ever closer to oblivion. She releases a litany of needy gasps, fingers wound tightly into his hair. For an excruciatingly long beat, there is only him and her and the glorious heady rush. And then the storm crashes into her senses without warning. Her knees clamp down around his chest, one hand flying up to grab the headboard as her voice breaks at her undoing, pleasure coursing through her like lightning. Heart pounding deafeningly loud, she rides out the sensation with a chaotic mix of shivers as her lover draws it out as long as he can.

He grins as he crawls back to meet her face. “Having fun up here?”

She chuckles, a wonderful rich noise that bubbles in her throat. “Almost as much as you were,” she replies, propping herself up on one elbow and kissing him gently. “Mmm. I had heard of… well, such activities -”

“Really? You’re going to pull the _embarrassed_ routine now?”

“Shut up,” she laughs, the blush blooming across her face. “I am trying to thank you.”

“You don’t have to,” he promises, lightly stroking her cheek with his knuckles. “Seriously, that was as much for me as it was for you. You are… outrageously hot when you want something.”

“You seem surprised.”

“Mostly incredibly aroused,” he laughs. “I just never thought -”

“Because I do not usually ask for things?”

“You _begged_ ,” he corrects with a smug grin.

“I am not ashamed,” she laughs, “to ask for more when you are doing fantastic things to me.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

“But I am also not afraid to take what I desire without asking.” She pushes him onto his back, smirk firmly back in place, and he cannot help but grin as she makes short work of his belt buckle. He angles himself to help her as she tugs at his trousers, his erection finally freed after a few moments of work. Her eyes widen almost comically as she draws level with his length.

“Seeker, put your eyes back in your head,” he drawls, grinning as he props himself up on his elbows.

“Ass,” she growls, though the smile remains.

“You alright?”

“Just… surprised.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You are… larger… than my last.” The glint in her eyes does not seem daunted, however – Varric half-fancies that look in her eyes is the same she gets when faced with a bear. A challenge, to be relished. He swallows, watching as she pulls his trousers off completely before turning her full attention to him. Fingers brush lightly against his hardness and he twitches, a soft groan escaping him.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he breathes, and she smiles as she crawls up his body, brushing up against him and planting a long kiss against his neck. His hands grab onto her waist, pulling her down towards him. She sinks slowly onto him, hands splayed across his chest and eyes closed as her breath comes in short sharp gasps.

“Shit.” His fingers tighten around her hips, and he knows there will be bruises in the dawn. “Seeker, I can’t – this won’t be my best -”

She laughs, and it takes all his reserve to stop himself from flipping her over and seeking his release. “It’s alright. I think I would be a little insulted if you did not look so desperate.” And then she moves, a slow shift of her hips but it grinds out a moan from behind his gritted teeth. He knows he will not last, could not possibly last with her heat around him and her hands against him and _Maker_ it was more than he had ever dreamed of. He shifts, pulling himself up to press her against him, and her hands cradle his head as she rides him with measured patience.

“Come for me, Varric,” she whispers, and he does, gasping out a stuttered _Cassandra_ as he falls, his release emptying into her with another deep thrust. Forehead resting against her chest, he closes his eyes, catching his breath.

She presses a soft kiss to his crown, one hand coming up to brush the sweat from the nape of his neck. “You never call me that,” she murmurs, sound quite amused.

“Not out loud.” He raises his head to meet her eyes, smiling wryly. “Well. Not usually. You okay?”

She chuckles, and his hips twitch in response. “I might ache in the morning,” she admits, “but I would do it all over again.”

“Good.” He leans up to steal a kiss from her lips before letting her rise off him. “Because we are definitely doing that again. Besides, I didn’t even get to the best writing lesson.”

She snorts as she slips off the bed. “ _Varric_ …”

“What?” He grins, watching her rinse her face in the basin. “Every story needs a climax.”

For a beat, there is only the soft splash of water, but the disgusted noise that follows is music to his ears.


End file.
